How to use a USA Apple Iphone 6 while in Vietnam

[Dave & Mong 29]

Hello, my wife will be traveling to Vietnam to see her family and while she is there how can she use her AT&T Iphone 6 in Vietnam? Does it need to be unlocked or just another sim card put in?

[JRF 117]

Depends upon whether the phone is unlocked. I kinda doubt it is unlocked, if an iPhone 6. If it is unlocked, no problem popping a Viniphone, Mobiphone, etc. nano sim into it once in Vietnam.

If locked, she can take it to someone there to see what they can do. That said, I'd recommend you purchase a cheap unlocked GSM phone that she can take in lieu of that iPhone, which could easily be stolen.

Good luck!

[TylerTrúc 1]

It does need to be unlocked if its not already. You can try calling AT&T and asking them to unlock it because she is traveling. Verizon did it for me no problem, I'm not sure about AT&T though.

Edited January 17, 2016 by TylerTrúc

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hello, my wife will be traveling to Vietnam to see her family and while she is there how can she use her AT&T Iphone 6 in Vietnam? Does it need to be unlocked or just another sim card put in?

The phone needs to be unlocked. AT&T will only unlock it if the phone is off contract and is paid for. If it's in contract, then she needs an IMEI unlock which takes 1-4 days. Can be done online or in VN by a third party.

My in contact AT&T iPhone 6+ was unlocked by a local phone shop in San Diego. I've done this for my 3s and 5s on prior trips.

[aaron2020 11,651]

It does need to be unlocked if its not already. You can try calling AT&T and asking them to unlock it because she is traveling. Verizon did it for me no problem, I'm not sure about AT&T though.

AT&T iPhones are locked if purchased with contracts. AT&T will only unlocked when the contracts are done and the phones are fully paid for.

Verizon iPhones are all sold unlocked.

[cl4677 3]

Hello, my wife will be traveling to Vietnam to see her family and while she is there how can she use her AT&T Iphone 6 in Vietnam? Does it need to be unlocked or just another sim card put in?

Yes, your phone needs to be unlocked. Depending on your situation it's as easy as following the instructions here;

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/#/

If your iPhone was purchased on a two-year contract your phone will very likely not be able to be unlocked without paying off the rest of your contract (about $180). I recently tried to unlock my iPhone 6 for use in Japan but they gave me a hard time about it and wouldn't budge on having to pay off the contract. I ended up taking an older unlocked iPhone.

The unlock itself happens relatively quickly, usually less than a day in my experience.

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

I would get SIMS card from there and use it

but definitely tell her to turn off the mobile data

i was suppose to have free international messaging with AT& T and i got home to a $600 bill as they said i used mobile data

Edited January 17, 2016 by Adil & Jeanne

[aaron2020 11,651]

I would get SIMS card from there and use it

but definitely tell her to turn off the mobile data

i was suppose to have free international messaging with AT& T and i got home to a $600 bill as they said i used mobile data

To use the iPhone abroad, it must be unlocked. Simply putting a foreign sim in will not do with an AT&T iPhone.

[heo luoi 206]

I unlocked my phone 6 via Sprint when i went last and yeah easily just pop a new sim....just be sure not to lose original sim and stow it away safely and pop in back in when leaving. Sure you'ld have to unlock it. Although the latest iphones are 'world' phone and can work abroad they aren't able to by default. Sprint was pretty good/easy about it. I think I just did it over chat via their webpage

[Michael and Ganna 104]

hope this helps...

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

It's also worth mentioning, if your device is still under contract, AT&T will still perform an international unlock for you, you just need to call and request it. They won't domestically unlock it, but they will definitely unlock it so it can be used for travel.

[aaron2020 11,651]

It's also worth mentioning, if your device is still under contract, AT&T will still perform an international unlock for you, you just need to call and request it. They won't domestically unlock it, but they will definitely unlock it so it can be used for travel.

This has not been my experience. AT&T has always turned down my requests and offered an international calling option.

The lock is there to make them money. Why would AT&T put the restrictions on and simply take it off?

Apple maintains the locked/unlocked, blacklisted, etc. database for all iPhones. There is only one IMEI unlock. It's not country specific. It's either unlocked all over the world or its locked all over the world. It's all or nothing. There is no database for unlocking internationally but not domestically.

https://www.quora.com/Does-AT-T-allow-unlocking-an-iPhone-6-for-international-travel

Edited January 18, 2016 by aaron2020

[Chris and ZhiJia 146]

This has not been my experience. AT&T has always turned down my requests and offered an international calling option.

The lock is there to make them money. Why would AT&T put the restrictions on and simply take it off?

Apple maintains the locked/unlocked, blacklisted, etc. database for all iPhones. There is only one IMEI unlock. It's not country specific. It's either unlocked all over the world or its locked all over the world. It's all or nothing. There is no database for unlocking internationally but not domestically.

https://www.quora.com/Does-AT-T-allow-unlocking-an-iPhone-6-for-international-travel

Maybe it is different for GSM devices, I have a CDMA phone that is Internationally unlocked through Sprint, but I cannot activate it on my Verizon account because it is still Domestically locked in Sprint's system. I tried, Verizon said I need to call sprint to have them release the IMEI. However I have taken the phone to China and activated it with a China Mobile SIM.

[Pete82 5]

Heres how to check if its unlock and if its not unlock to request a sim unlock code from AT&T. You get 5 unlock in your lifetime with them.

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1008728?source=redirect

Note

If you bought the phone directly from Apple with no contract and then added AT&T then your phone should already be unlocked.

Now you know how vietnam is with all the thefts... I recommend you purchase a cheap phone from best buy ($40) on the pre paid phone that is unlock and as someone mention, buy the sim card in Vietnam and then she is good to go......

Heck, best buy has cheap smart phone that is pre-paid for only 80 bucks if she doesn't want to use the cheap flip phones.

[JRF 117]

Heres how to check if its unlock and if its not unlock to request a sim unlock code from AT&T. You get 5 unlock in your lifetime with them.

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/wireless/KM1008728?source=redirect

Note

If you bought the phone directly from Apple with no contract and then added AT&T then your phone should already be unlocked.

Now you know how vietnam is with all the thefts... I recommend you purchase a cheap phone from best buy ($40) on the pre paid phone that is unlock and as someone mention, buy the sim card in Vietnam and then she is good to go......

Heck, best buy has cheap smart phone that is pre-paid for only 80 bucks if she doesn't want to use the cheap flip phones.

Great post - it was me that recommended purchasing a cheap GSM phone. My wife almost had a phone taken out of her hands by two guys on a motorbike in Saigon. It happened so quick that my left hand didn't catch the head of the guy on the back of the bike. Anyways, whenever I am in Vietnam I know I'm a target. I can only hope that my pulling out a cheap <chinese> GSM phone disappoints!